Self-defining through entrepreneurship
This is a personal story, and also my first story on Medium.
Growing up
I was a very dreamy little girl. I never knew what I wanted to be when I grow up. I liked animals very much, and I was always expressing myself through writing. But, becoming a veterinarian seemed too-limiting for me, and becoming a writer seemed too un-certain. I also loved sales very much. I would observe how people sold products, and why they made them sound so enchanting and at the end, why would customers buy them. I would try to sell everything to everyone. They laughed at me.
I was actually very sensitive, but on the outside seemed really tough. I expressed my hyper-sensitivity through writing. I wrote numerous poems and stories. I was very good at it. It liberated me, and gave me a sense of strength. The words that I wrote meant I could express exactly what I wanted and make it sound exactly how it was in my head and heart. For a little girl, I wrote very strong and penetrating words . The eye-opening ones. Everyone thought I was an old soul.
But, the problem with that kind of writing was that it came from sadness, insecurity and vulnerability- highly non-sustainable practices that I would not benefit in further life from. So, I learned to become more happier and stronger. But, is a writer ever not strong, since he heals himself with words only?
Merging the skills with the market
I studied business informatics. I was actually very good at it. But it wasn’t fulfilling me. I then realized that my passion for writing and my skills to sell everything I could, to everyone I knew, can me merged in…copywriting- writing content that sells products, content that inspires people to see the best in the products that are offered to them. I started writing slogans, content and brand names for my first clients. I always deepened it to the point that I was also a brand consultant for the client. I had visions of positioning the client’s product. I had enthusiasm and creativity to launch that product into great hights. I then realized that I loved branding.
When visions have to become true
As I worked for my clients, I dreamt about having my own product & brand. I dreamt of having a business where I could control & create everything and self-express myself through my product.
I was always writing & creating, and had numerous pencils, pens, pencil cases, erasers, notebooks (inherited stationery fetish by my dear grandpa Vinko). I also love animals, plants and generally find nature a place of rehabilitation & peace. And, I apsolutely love coffee & tea and have always placed it’s leftovers on plants to nourish them (that’s an old advice from my grandma). One day, when I was holding a pencil and putting my tea leftovers over my window plants, I got an idea- I could sharpen a pencil made of coffee & tea over my plants and nurture them! The idea of Fabula was born- the sustainable organic pencil reycled from coffee, tea & flowers, that nurtures plants and grows new ones from it’s top when it’s too short for writing!

Faith & Strength
I simply knew this was THE IDEA, and the path I needed to take, no matter what. I started experimenting & prototyping, in my grandma’s kitchen, on an old (and non-ergonomical) table. It took me almost two years to get a functional prototype. And a back injury from all the leaning & standing over the old table. It was all worth it- Fabula got many entrepreneurial & design awards and recognitions that set it to become a business that would later completely consume my time. As I was working, the story about Fabula wrote itself, everything seemed to unfold itself so meaningfully, that I just knew that all of my hard work made sense.
Entrepreneurship is hard- so is everything else in life
I learned so much with Fabula in 4 years since the first idea. Prototyping, brand creation, product management, business development, project management, presenting & pitching, financies, client management, market development, creative marketing. The topics just revealed themselves as one big thing I have to do in life: Entrepreneurship.
Looking forward to write about all those topics here on Medium. Seems just right :)
Mateja
